


The World Was Wide Enough

by martianwahtney



Series: Hamilton [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Divergence - Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 08:06:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8437882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/martianwahtney/pseuds/martianwahtney
Summary: the final fight in Siberia goes a little different. Steve is so sure Tony won't stop. Tony is so sure Steve will stop. there's only one solution.





	

There was a moment. One single moment in that awful bunker when two separate choices were made.  
  
Steve saw Bucky.  
  
He saw his oldest, and most dearest friend, and felt something deep inside him. It told him to do whatever it took to protect Bucky. Because he knew Tony. He knew Tony was never going to stop. Not until he reached his goal. And Tony’s goal was to kill Bucky. That much Steve knew for sure.  
  
He was left with no choice.  
  
-  
  
Tony saw Pepper, and Rhodes.  
  
He saw the two people that loved him unconditionally, and it broke something deep inside him. Tony didn’t want to fight Steve. Not really. He knew that Pepper and Rhodey wouldn’t want him fighting his friend like that either. He knew Steve. He knew Steve didn’t really want to keep fighting like this. It must be killing him like it was killing Tony.  
  
His choice was simple.  
  
-  
  
Steve raised his shield up.  
  
It was the only way. Tony wasn’t going to stop. He was going to keep fighting. This was the only way to end it.  
  
-  
  
Tony dropped his hands.  
  
Steve wouldn’t hurt him, not now. He would see that Tony wasn’t defending himself, and maybe, just maybe they could talk this one out. Steve liked talking shit out.  
  
-  
  
Steve noticed Tony’s gesture of surrender too late. The shield had already met its mark. And Tony wasn’t moving.  
  
He moved because Bucky hauled him away from Tony. Bucky tried to push Steve back, so they could get out of that damn base.  
  
“Wait,”  
  
Tony still wasn’t moving.  
  
–  
  
It had taken 12 days for Tony to die. Steve was at the hospital when it happened. It was Pepper who alerted him to the genius’s passing. Or at least it was her scream.  
  
“You shouldn’t be here,” it was some kid with fluffy brown hair who spoke.  
  
Steve’s gaze slid back to the hospital room. Pepper and Rhodey had been at his side when he died.  
  
–  
  
It was the one thing Steve regretted above all else. Not that it mattered. His regret couldn’t bring Tony back. Nothing could. Tony had been dead the moment he dropped his defenses in Siberia. But that didn’t change the fact that it had been Steve who delivered the final blow.  
  
Death didn’t seem to care who it took, as long as it took someone. Steve hardly thought he was any better.  
  
Steve had survived Siberia.  
  
Just barely.  
  
But god he was going to pay for it for the rest of his life.  
  
–  
  
Steve stood in front of Tony’s grave. He’d been trying to work up the nerve to say something to the slab of grey marble for the past two hours.  
  
“I should have known,” he said at last.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not even remotely sorry for any of this  
> originally posted to my tumblr!  
> [here](http://anthonystarhk.tumblr.com/)


End file.
